As an expert transcriptionist, I have analyzed the transcript and cross-referenced the provided context. **Note on Names:** The transcript is dated **May 19, 2015**. While your provided list contains the *current* 2024 city officials (such as Mayor Montgomery), the transcript specifically identifies the 2015 officials during the roll call (Mayor Robinson and Council Members Duncan, Gallup, Hollister, Johnson, Madsen, and Showbloom). I have mapped the dialogue to these individuals and the city staff members (Jon Radermacher and Jeff McCormick) listed in your context who were also in office in 2015. [5:17] **Mayor Robinson:** Good evening. I'll call the City of Cannon Falls City Council meeting for Tuesday, May the 19th, to order. Roll call, please. [5:17] **City Clerk:** Council Member Duncan? (Here). Gallup? (Here). Hollister? (Here). Johnson? (Here). Madsen? (Here). Showbloom? (Here). And Mayor Robinson? [5:17] **Mayor Robinson:** Yep. I'll please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Good evening, everyone, and welcome to the City Council meeting. At this time, the chair will take a motion to approve the agenda as submitted. [6:03] **Council Member Madsen:** Second. [6:03] **Mayor Robinson:** I have a motion by Bill [Gallup] and a second by Madsen. All those in favor, aye. Opposed? Carries. Move us on to item 5 this evening: the public input. Citizens may speak to issues not on the agenda. Before speaking, please give your name and address for the minutes and please limit your comments to three minutes. Seeing as there is no one here to speak tonight, we are moving on to the consent agenda. Items of this area of the agenda may be adopted or they may be removed and placed in the business area of the agenda for discussion purposes. For those at home, I will read the consent agenda. Item A is the just and correct claims for the accounting period ending May the 15th, 2015. [6:49] **Mayor Robinson:** Item B are the meeting minutes for the May 5th, 2015, City Council meeting. Item C are the summer and fall event street closures. Item D, Resolution 21-28, approving rezoning of former hospital site. Item E, introduction and first reading of Ordinance 340, amending Chapter 152 of the City of Cannon Falls code by rezoning certain property. Item F, introduction and first reading of Ordinance 341, authorizing sale of city-owned real property. Item G, purchase of a new John Deere mower. Item H, fairground septic holding tank replacement. Item I, Resolution 21-29, accepting a donation for the Fire Department. And Item J... [7:35] **Mayor Robinson:** Resolution 21-30, declaring costs to be assessed and ordering preparation of proposed assessment. Are there any items anybody wishes to come bring down? Okay, seeing as there are none, chair, I'll take a motion to approve the consent agenda as submitted. I will second the motion by Bill [Gallup]. All those in favor, aye. Opposed? Carries. And that moves us all into the only item on Council business this evening, which is the police take-home vehicle amendment to employee terms. And as you all... [8:24] **Mayor Robinson:** ...may remember the last Council meeting on the 5th, we discussed the police take-home vehicle for the Chief. We had Jon [Radermacher] check with the City Attorney to make a determination if there were any legalities or any legal issues to or anything that the insurance would affect. And according to the attorney, there's no legal issues as it pertains to this. So tonight, the Council—you guys—will have to make a decision on this and can go from there. [9:13] **Mayor Robinson:** So it'll be up to you guys to come up with a solution and then we'll vote on it. [9:13] **Council Member Bill Gallup:** Well, my position hasn't changed from our last Council meeting. I don't think any city officials should be using a city vehicle for personal use. In addition—something I didn't mention last week—I know I've gotten tons of complaints that Jeff has moved out of town, which really irritates people. I won't go over everything that I did last Council meeting, but like I say, this to me is a no-brainer. We just don't allow city officials to use city vehicles for public use. [9:59] **Council Member Madsen:** What's the response time for you? And your labor agreement contract for LALS is 45 minutes—is the response time in your within that distance? [9:59] **Jeff McCormick (Police Chief):** Oh, yes. [9:59] **Council Member Hollister:** I also have heard quite a few comments that the people really would like you to be living in Cannon Falls. There's nothing that says that that person has to live in Cannon Falls, but... [10:45] **Jeff McCormick (Police Chief):** I would remind everybody we looked for a significant number of years and didn't find what we wanted in Cannon Falls. We would love to have been in Cannon Falls. When it came down to the end, it was a significant difference to build, which we couldn't afford. [10:45] **Council Member Hollister:** Right. And a lot of different people, too, they don't see that there is any reason for you to, you know, use the police car. They would prefer you use your personal. But they also just said, "I wish he was living in Cannon Falls." So that's what I have been hearing. [11:31] **Council Member Johnson:** I've probably pretty much heard about the same stuff, too. [11:31] **Mayor Robinson:** Any more discussion on this? I mean, you guys have to come up with a motion to make a determination on what you want to do. [11:31] **Council Member Bill Gallup:** Okay, I'll put a motion. I make a motion that no city official can use a city vehicle for private use, and that includes driving to and from work. Period. [12:17] **Mayor Robinson:** Okay. The only time that we would probably want to look at that, Bill, though, is if a person had to use a city vehicle for business and it was going to be further to come back here and then they could park it at their house and move it back the next day. I think we need to look at the policy on that or set a policy for that portion of it. I mean, if say Jeff was on business and he say he had to go to St. Cloud and we had to come back that night, if he parked it at his home that night, the next day he drove it in as long as the personal vehicle is here to pick it up, I don't see whether it's a problem. I know other municipalities that allow that. [12:17] **Council Member Bill Gallup:** Okay, I guess I could see that because that would happen extremely rarely. [12:17] **Jeff McCormick (Police Chief):** We have used that in the past with officers to save time because you were closer to a training rather than... [12:17] **Council Member Bill Gallup:** What I'm trying to do with this motion is just make a general statement that any city official—it doesn't have to be just Jeff, it could be anybody. [13:05] **Mayor Robinson:** In this case, I think we have to address the issue that is before us tonight, which is the police take-home vehicle for the Chief, because that's the issue that's before us. [13:05] **Council Member Bill Gallup:** I am addressing that issue. Well, that's my motion. [13:05] **Council Member Madsen:** One thing in here, too—wasn't it said now if it was just Jeff, you know, it would be covered under insurance, but if it's a family member in there too, it isn't covered? Is that how I read that? [13:53] **Jon Radermacher (City Administrator):** They're related to like the driving of a vehicle. The League's policy was something I'm familiar with; it's the protocols that governed my take-home vehicle and my previous employer, and so I followed those here as well. [13:53] **Council Member Madsen:** Can we just say that—nope, just like you said—that there wouldn't be any except for no one would use it except for what? [14:39] **Mayor Robinson:** Well, as I said, I think what we should do is we should first of all handle this that's before us, which is the police take-home vehicle, and then we can direct staff to write the policy for use of city vehicles which would include that, because we would need to have that in writing for the insurance. What the League of Minnesota Cities says is if the city allows any exceptions to the personal use, it should be clear in the policy. So we need to have a policy. [14:39] **Council Member Bill Gallup:** Are you saying you’d like me to amend my motion to just for now for the Police Chief driving the vehicle to and from work? [14:39] **Mayor Robinson:** Yep. [14:39] **Council Member Bill Gallup:** Okay, I will amend my motion to that. [15:25] **Mayor Robinson:** Is there any further discussion on this issue? Okay, being there is no further discussion, all those in favor... we need a second, don't we? [15:25] **Council Member Duncan:** I second it. [15:25] **Mayor Robinson:** Okay, so now we have a motion by Bill and a second by Cathy [Duncan]. Any further discussion? Seeing as there is none, all those in favor, aye. Opposed? Ayes have it. [15:37] **Jeff McCormick (Police Chief):** Mr. Mayor? [15:37] **Mayor Robinson:** Yes, sir. [15:37] **Jeff McCormick (Police Chief):** Yes, I would seek the Council's attitude. I'll make arrangements to be able to come into work tomorrow and then be picked up. That's okay with Council? [15:37] **Mayor Robinson:** Yep. I think that would be fine. Yep, thank you. Okay, that moves us on to reports. Mr. Showbloom? Tom? [16:22] **Council Member Tom Showbloom:** Well, all I've got to do is try and remind people: please mow your lawn before it gets 18 inches high and I have to knock on your door. I don't like babysitting adults, but it's that time of year and I'd really appreciate if they do that. We had some ruckus today—one of our swans got out. They're getting along well but they're not mating, so I don't know what we do from here. So I'll look into that further. Family squabble. [16:22] **Jeff McCormick (Police Chief):** We had received calls on the swan as well. Unfortunately, our swan wranglers took care of that. Believe it or not, we're beginning June very shortly. One of the things that you guys authorized this evening is the bike race. We're getting our planning process for that. Details will be coming out on the impact on the streets and the closures and stuff. I'll be working with Ken from the Beacon to make sure that that gets out in the newspaper as well. Also, this next coming first Thursday will be the trike race, of which the Police Department plans on putting in our best effort. Hopefully with a trike that does not have the suspicious incident where it falls apart like last year, but we are hoping to be victorious and reclaim the trophy for another year. So come down and watch. [16:22] **Council Member Tom Showbloom:** And who has a trophy now? [17:08] **Jeff McCormick (Police Chief):** Someone else under protest at that. [17:08] **Mayor Robinson:** Who's driving for us? [17:55] **Jeff McCormick (Police Chief):** I believe Turbo Sullivan will be taking the lead and having this effort together for his young legs. We're still putting together what's going to be, I assume, the winning team. [17:55] **Jon Radermacher (City Administrator):** I have a few things tonight. A tough act to follow with Tom and the swans, but attended the Goodhue County Commission meeting this morning. Had a couple things of interest for us. One was the joint powers agreement with the DNR to allow basically an easement for the trail coming out of Welch on County land, so that was approved. The other thing: you would have been proud of our Library Director [Justin Padgett]. He gave a presentation; he and the rest of the library directors for cities in Goodhue County were present, and Justin was the spokesperson. He really did a nice job and so it was good to be there to support him. [18:42] **Mayor Robinson:** Much because she kept saying "y'all." [18:42] **Jon Radermacher (City Administrator):** He did say "y'all." And actually I'll talk to Justin about getting that report out to you. It was a—somebody else had put the PowerPoint together, one of the other directors—but it was a real good presentation with 2014 statistics and then different collaborations that they're working on. I sent an email out to you late this afternoon related to the Highway 20 railroad crossing closing. It’ll be closed on May 28th. [19:30] **Council Member Madsen:** June? [19:30] **Jon Radermacher (City Administrator):** May—thank you for correcting that one—May 28th. They intend to have it open on June 1st, and we'll see how that goes. The detour road is in that email; there's a different route north and south. John Miller of the Fire Department brought in a postcard for us to invite you and your family and staff and their family to a retirement gathering at the VFW on Saturday, June 27th, for former Chief Miller, who is hanging his firefighter hat up after 36-plus years. So you are invited. I will scan this and email it to you so you have it. [20:15] **Jon Radermacher (City Administrator):** We will—staff will be working on the 2016 budget. Linnell and I will be getting out the necessary documentation to them within the next week, we hope anyway. Another item: Goodhue County Co-op Electric should have lit up the lights on the west side last night. That was their intention. I was going to check with you to have a report for me but I forgot, so I will have staff check. Thank you. We are interviewing for administrative interns next week. And also, we did have a meeting with the DNR on the trail from Cannon Falls out to Welch last week also, and they intend to get the trail done from the fairgrounds area out to the bridge this year and then the rest of it next year. [21:04] **Mayor Robinson:** Yeah, well it won't go all the way out to the bridge, but at least go underneath the 52 side, I think, right? [21:04] **Jon Radermacher (City Administrator):** Right. And they intend to get the work done underneath the highway bridge because there is funding available for that that expires this year, so they want to get that done. You might have seen if you've been on the west side, Hentges is doing the driveway reconstructions on those driveways that had severe popping—rocks popping out. So they're working on that yesterday and today and it'll be—we'll be there for a few days. We did send out a letter to the affected residents, which is really a fortunate situation because there were several situations where we had folks call us up and wanted this done and wanted that and had this going on, or were going to be out of town, had a dog fence, etc. etc. So it was good that the communication was out there first or else we would have been dealing with issues for the next several months, I think. [22:35] **Jon Radermacher (City Administrator):** And I think Robbie might have mentioned it—as of last March 10th was my one-year anniversary. And Robbie and I have been intending to talk about getting the evaluation process done. [22:35] **Mayor Robinson:** Jon's going to send out... yeah, I'm going to email out something that keeps us all on the same page and we want to try to get it all together so we're going to evaluate Jon. So we'll try to get it all together so that we can present it to Jon probably the second meeting in June. So just keep an eye out for that email so we're all on that. Linnell? [23:22] **Council Member Madsen:** Well, nothing. Just a Jeff—a question for you on the right-hand turn issue. How has that been proceeding the last couple of weeks since we talked? [23:22] **Jeff McCormick (Police Chief):** We're seeing a significant reduction in the passing on the right, which is really the primary cause for our concerns and the accidents. What we are seeing is some people are unsure if they can turn on the right on the red. But you know, we're working to make sure that the information gets out and people understand that you can still turn on the red if you're the first vehicle. Then the second vehicle could move up; if they're going to turn right, they could also turn. But if there's somebody that's turning left or going straight, you can't pass to make your turn on the right. [24:07] **Council Member Madsen:** Because I've seen... when I came home from work today, I was going east on 19 to the stoplights. Before I turned into Econo Foods, I could clearly see a stoplight—someone in one lane and someone right next to them in the other lane. [24:07] **Jeff McCormick (Police Chief):** We're still seeing it. I talked with Officer Burger, who stopped somebody today, and as soon as he stopped them, the driver rolled the window down and said, "I know why you stopped me." And then they had a conversation about why we're cracking down and trying to prevent the accidents. At the end of the day, it's really their insurance that we're trying to save them the trouble with. So the Beacon has done a great job of helping us get that information out and we're going to continue to do that. I talked with Mike; he's going to try to put some stuff out through the city social media sites as well, and maybe even a video. [24:52] **Mayor Robinson:** All right, thank you. Kathy? [24:52] **Council Member Duncan:** I have nothing. [24:52] **Mayor Robinson:** Nothing. What about the pool this year? [24:52] **Council Member Duncan:** Oh yeah, business as usual. [24:52] **Mayor Robinson:** Okay, so we'll do some patching in the parking lot to try opening up? Yeah, I happened to be down there the other day; that's pretty bad. Are we anticipating opening like the Monday after school's done or...? [24:52] **Jon Radermacher (City Administrator):** Yeah, it's June 10th, I believe, was a Wednesday, the first day. But there's a lesson signup here coming up at the end of the month. There will be three days of lesson signups. We'll have that in the paper, so that'll be coming up too. [25:37] **Mayor Robinson:** Thank you. Okay, I got a few things. As you know, the legislature adjourned last night, early this morning, whatever you want to call it. Just to let you know, there was no tax bill that was passed while they were in session, so unless they pass one in special session, then LGA and everything is going to remain the same for another year. There was no transportation bill passed. The only one was a bare-bones transportation bill; they never could come to a decision on that. So there's no funding right now to do an overpass at this time. So I mean, we're going to still keep working on that. [26:23] **Mayor Robinson:** So we'll find out when they're going to do the special session and see what comes about on that. So we'll keep following it and kind of go from there. I mean, it'd be nice if they could get one done in the special session because that will help with budgeting and help us for next year. Then we talked about Jon's eval. And then last, I'd like to give another congratulations out to Arnie Germstead. I introduced Congressman Kline who was here on Saturday to award the Army's Legion of Merit to Arnie and three other medals that he was 70 years late getting. [27:08] **Mayor Robinson:** You know, Arnie was a good citizen here and had that Germstead Hardware for a lot of years and he was sharp that day. And you know, Arnie went through three D-Days. He said, "I have three D-Days," so that's quite the feat, especially in World War II. And when John asked him if he didn't see it on TV, he said, "Are you John?" Fine. But it was a good ceremony. Thanks for everyone that turned out to support our citizen. And other than that, I have nothing else this evening. I'll take a motion to adjourn.